Happy Friday,
The Lord called to the man, “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:9
For several months now, asking, “What time is it?” has been the stylish way to suggest someone needed to wake up to what was going on in the world. Let the record show God asked a form of the question first. His Genesis 3 inquiry of Adam was less a question than it was a suggestion that Adam wake up to his new reality. BTW, the proper response to God’s question — given later by Abraham and still later by Moses and the prophets — is “Here I am.” So, “What time is it in your world?” And, “Where are you?”
The Thanksgiving Challenge: A friend surprised me by calling to say he was thankful for my friendship. He later explained that he was participating in The Thanksgiving Challenge (TTC). What is TTC? Those participating go out of their way to thank someone for something and then report on that exchange as dessert is being served on T-Day. This sounds like a tradition that should spread. Expect to be reminded of TTC early next November.
Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) “Advent tells us to look directly into the darkness and name it for what it is. … The upper lights are burning. We cannot see them with our earthly human retinas, but we can see them in faith and in hope. The unseen power of the heavens is overhead. Our part is to keep the lower lights burning.” Fleming Rutledge; 2) “The Christian is known by two great marks: his inner warfare and his inner peace.” J.C. Ryle; and 3) “The problem is not the problem — it never is — the problem is being ‘too busy’ or ‘too confused’ to sit down and think about the problem. There are only two types of problems that will kill you: the ones you don’t see coming and the ones you don’t fix fast enough once you see them.” The Wealthy Consultant.
WOTW: Honorable mentions go to 1) whopperjawed (also wapper-jawed, whocker-jawed, and womper-jawed), which refers to “things that are crooked, out of place, damaged or broken;” 2) limbic capitalism, the practice of advancing “socially regressive products” — e.g., vaping, marijuana, alcohol, Youtube, TikTok, Xbox (and other ‘electronic opiates’) — that “leverage excessive consumption and addiction by targeting the part of the brain responsible for feelings and quick reactions as distinct from dispassionate thinking — i.e., the limbic system;” and 3) cognitive fog. (Note: I blame my cognitive fog less on limbic capitalism than I do on all the things that are womper-jawed.) Full WOTW honors go to GRATITUDE — which I predictably chose so I could remind you that being thankful is more of a skill than it is a disposition and encourage you to practice gratitude more than one day a year. By the way, I am now receiving nominations for Word of The Year.
Without Comment: 1) According to these charts — here and here — (APPENDIX #1 & #2), a smaller percentage of adult men are fully employed than at any time in American history; 2) According to this report, only 6 percent of Americans were in poverty in 2022, down from 33.8 percent in 1980; 3) Gen Z Christians are less partisan than other generations and not excited about voting for the first time in 2024; 4) According to Gallup, the average American weights 20 lbs more than in 1990.
FWIW: 1) Elite schools should no longer be called “elite” just “expensive;” 2) I appreciated this joke from RR; 3) Among this week’s entries for “signs that the apocalypse is upon us,” this WSJ article stands out; 4) Speaking of The WSJ, on Wednesday they ran the same editorial they have run every Wednesday before T-Day since 1961; and 5) If the Bible doesn’t occasionally surprise and scandalize you, you’re probably using it as a mirror for your own values.
Clean Up: 1) Last week, I referenced Matthew 5 for the Lord’s Prayer when I should have cited Matthew 6; 2) While a number of you appreciated the aerial photograph of the Korean peninsula, more wrote to challenge my identification of North Korea as a communist country. Fair enough. North Korea is more of a feudal, dictatorial family cult than what Marx and Engels advocated. That said, North and South Korea do offer a contrast between free market and centralized control.
Resources: Click here for a sermon where I advocate you take a long walk.
In Case You are Wondering: When asked what my favorite book of the Bible is, I answer the same way most pastors do — i.e., I name whatever book I am studying at the moment.
Partly Personal: 1) According to this WSJ piece, one percent of Americans are named Mike; 2) History was made last Saturday night. While paying for tickets to a dance recital for Alats — a ministry started by a couple in our small group — I was asked if I qualified for the senior discount. Before I could instinctively say no, Sheri asked at what age the senior discount kicked in. The person taking money said, “Oh, I don’t know. Anything above fifty.” So, I have now received my first senior discount. FWIW, I am now 63, and I can attest that life goes by quickly. It seems like just yesterday I was watching the mail for my “blue slip” so I could go get my driver’s license. Remember: Life is short. Eternity is not. The opportunity to make a difference is now.
Closing Prayer: O Lord God, Never leave me nor forsake me, but have mercy upon me for your great name’s sake. And not for myself alone do I ask these blessings, but for all the poor and needy, all widows and fatherless children, and for the stranger in distress; and may they call upon you in such manner as to be convinced that you are a prayer-hearer and prayer-answering God; and yours shall be the praise, forever. Amen (Maria W. Stewart, 1803 – 1879)